Events

Rosebud Film Fest Kicks Off At Artisphere on Saturday

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s homegrown film fest, the Rosebud Film and Video Festival, is coming to Rosslyn on Saturday.

The annual event will get underway at 12:30 p.m. at Artisphere’s Dome Theater. The seven-hour long, 20 film showcase features documentaries, dramas, comedies, animations and projects that defy classification.

“The twenty works in this year’s showcase are as diverse and rich as our region itself,” festival organizers said in an email. “Rosebud honors the innovative, experimental, unusual, and deeply personal in creative film and video making.”

For $10, attendees can see all 20 films in Saturday’s nominee showcase. The price of admission also comes with an invite to Sunday’s awards gala, which will be held from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Clarendon Ballroom.

Check out some of the nominees at TBD’s Rosebud guide, and see the festival’s screening schedule after the jump.

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Crystal City Chick-Fil-A To Give Out 10,000 Free Sandwiches

By ARLnow.com

When Chick-fil-A does a grand opening, they do it big. The opening of the new Crystal City store at 2200 Crystal Drive will be no exception.

The company is expecting people to start lining up for the Nov. 18 opening at 6:00 a.m. on Nov. 17.

The reason people would brave the cold for a fast food restaurant opening? The store is offering a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A meals to the first 100 adults in line (a $260 value).

The queue will be set up in the park across the street, so the campers don’t get clog the sidewalk. A company spokesperson said 200 people lined up 24 hours prior to a restaurant opening in Denver last week for the same “First 100” promotion.

If there are more than 100 people in line in Crystal City by 6:00 a.m. on Nov. 17, the first 100 spots will be determined by a raffle.

In advance of the opening, Chick-fil-A will also be doing a big sandwich giveaway. The restaurant will distribute 10,000 chicken sandwiches during the lunch hour of Nov. 15 and 16.

Chick-fil-A says the store, which will employ nearly 50 people, is the result of years of market research.

“With the company having researched locations in the area since 2004, the Crystal City restaurant provides an opportunity for the chain to be a part of the Crystal City streetscape,” the company said in a press release. “The Chick-fil-A restaurant also is conveniently located to mass transit and the Pentagon.”

“Fag Life” Comedy Show Coming to Artisphere

By ARLnow.com

How do you deal with a homophobe like Fred Phelps, founder of the Westboro Baptist Church. How do you cope with the raw hatred of someone whose minions hold signs that say “God Hates Fags” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers”?

For one 25-year-old New Yorker, the solution is comedy.

Brent Sullivan will be bringing his unique one-man comedy show, Brent Sullivan’s Fag Life: A Conversation with Fred Phelps, to Artisphere this weekend.

The show is described as an “innovative approach to revealing bigotry and hatred in America by having a discussion with a fanatic.”

“The show is a celebration of gay culture, while very critical of certain aspects of the LGBT community that are outdated, stereotypical and offensive,” a press release says. Sullivan’s comedy is “a straight friendly approach to being gay… without the stereotypical attitude that plagues most gay comedians.”

Though Sullivan is alone on stage, he’s joined in spirit by Phelps, whose whose zany sound bites are played intermittently for comedic effect and as a way to introduce new topics of conversation for Sullivan. (See a video clip here)

The show will be performed at the Dome theater at Artisphere at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $20.

Arlington’s First Responders Say: Be Brave and Shave

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s police, firefighters and sheriff are encouraging residents to “be brave and shave” to raise money for childhood cancer research.

On Sunday, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., dozens of people will get their locks sheared off at Westover Library (1644 North McKinley Road) for a good cause. The proceeds will benefit the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s National Medical Center.

The event is being held at the same time another sponsored by Montgomery County’s police and firefighters.

Arlington police held a bake sale two weeks go to raise money the event.

Crystal City to Hold Underground “Wine Walk”

By ARLnow.com

Final details are still being firmed up, but Crystal City is planning a unique event that will combine wine sampling with some exercise — in the dead of winter.

The Crystal City 1K Wine Walk will be a one kilometer “race” through Crystal City’s interior walkways (the “underground”). Wine and food sampling stations will be set up along the way.

At the end, there will be a “finish festival” in the former underground food court.

Crystal City’s Washington Wine Academy will be a partner in the event, and will help select the wine.

The Wine Walk is tentatively planned for Sunday, Feb. 20., during President’s Day weekend.

Halloween Events Around Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Is Halloween more fun for adults or kids?

That question is up for debate — but what’s for certain is that there are plenty of Halloween-related events happening around Arlington this weekend.

Kids will be able to enjoy the Falloween family festival from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Market Common Clarendon on Saturday.  A YMCA haunted house for kids 11 and up is being held at the Madison Community Center from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. And on Sunday, a children’s parade and pumpkin carving contest will be held at Lyon Park Community Center from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.

With Halloween falling on a Sunday this year, most Halloween-related events for adults will be happening on Saturday.

P. Brennan’s (2910 Columbia Pike) is holding its first annual Halloween costume party starting at 9:00 p.m. Gonzo’s Nose will be playing a Halloween party and costume contest at Clarendon Grill (1101 N. Highland Street) starting at 10:00 p.m. And The Front Page (4201 Wilson Blvd) will also be throwing a Halloween party and costume contest, featuring performances by Kicking Norma and DJ Pat Premiere.

Also happening this weekend, but not Halloween-related: The Arlington Kiwanis 39th Annual Oyster and Barbeque Fest, which will be attended by most if not all of the local candidates for public office. That’s being held from 5:00 to 8:00 Saturday night at, of all places, the American Service Center garage (601 North Randolph Street).

See our events calendar for more details on each event.

Last Crystal City Freshfarm Market of the Season Today

By ARLnow.com

Despite the fact that the weather is still fairly warm, today’s Crystal City Freshfarm Market will be the last of the season.

Held from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Crystal Drive, the market features about 20 local farmers and producers who bring together seasonal fruits and vegetables, farm-raised eggs, all-natural meats, cheeses, artisan soaps, and more.

Also at the market today: the Sweetflow Mobile frozen yogurt truck.

Public Forum on Columbia Pike Streetcar Planned

By ARLnow.com

The Columbia Pike Transit Initiative is planning a series of public meetings do discuss the proposed Columbia Pike streetcar.

One of the meeting will be held at the Walter Reed Community Center at 2909 16th Street South, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18. The other meeting will be held in Falls Church on Monday, Nov. 15.

The schedule of the Arlington meeting is as follows:

  • Presentation and Question/Answer Session 7:00 – 7:45 p.m.
  • Break-Out Discussions on Alignment, Station Stops, Facilities 7:45 – 8:45 p.m.
  • Reconvene and Recap 8:45 – 9:00 p.m.

Here’s a letter that’s being sent to area Civic Associations:

Arlington County and Fairfax County are proposing a streetcar line in the Columbia Pike corridor. The two counties have engaged the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (also known as Metro) to prepare a combined Environmental Assessment/Alternatives Analysis and are in coordination with the Federal Transit Administration for Federal environmental procedures and capital funding.

The project, known as the Columbia Pike Transit Initiative, would extend along Columbia Pike (Route 244) from the Bailey’s Crossroads/Skyline area in Fairfax County to Pentagon City in Arlington County. Alignment and yard options extend to the Northern Virginia Community College within the City of Alexandria, which is participating in the project.

We want to inform you about the Initiative and receive your input. Please plan on attending one of these important meetings! For more information, visit www.piketransit.com. Spanish translation will be provided at the meetings. For special assistance for persons with disabilities, please call me at (202) 962-1027, at least 10 days prior to the meetings. Feel free to share this invitation (see enclosed bilingual flyer) with your family, friends, and neighbors. We sincerely appreciate your participation and look forward to seeing you soon!

John M. Dittmeier, Project Manager, Metro
[email protected]

Tonight: Charity Happy Hour and Mad Men Cocktail Party

By ARLnow.com

A happy hour and a cocktail party are on tap in Clarendon and Bluemont tonight.

The Reading Connection, a group that helps improve literacy for at-risk youth, is holding a happy hour at Mister Days (3100 Clarendon Blvd) from 5:00 to 9:00 tonight. A $5 donation gets you great happy hour specials and a raffle ticket for prizes like an Amazon Kindle 3G or gift cards to local stores.

Then from 7:00 to 10:30 p.m., Covet boutique (5140 Wilson Blvd )is holding a “Mad Men Cocktail Party” that will let you “get in touch with your inner Peggy Olson or Don Draper.”

“Join Covet for a night of vintage cocktails and party fare to celebrate life when people smoked through doctors appointments, air travel was sophisticated and men wore fedoras,” the store’s Facebook page beckons.

Northside Social to Hold “Pigtoberfest” Tomorrow

By ARLnow.com

If you’re in Clarendon tomorrow night, and you find yourself wondering where the smell of barbeque is coming from, look no further than the big red building at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and Fairfax Drive.

Northside Social will be smoking not one but two pigs on its patio tomorrow, part of the cafe’s inaugural “Pigtoberfest.” The pork will be accompanied by side dishes and several rare Octoberfest beers and pumpkin ales.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $35 per person plus tax and tip. Weather-permitting, outdoor seating will be available.

Call 703-465-0145 to make a reservation.

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